KAHULUI, Maui, Hawaii - In celebration of Earth Day, Maui Community College‘s Sustainability Club and The Sustainable Living Institute of Maui (SLIM) will host a "Sustainable Earth Celebration," a three-day festival featuring several nationally renowned speakers, live entertainment, delicious organic foods, and numerous activities aimed at having fun and learning about sustaining our natural resources. The festivities will run from Monday, April 14, through Wednesday, April 16, on Maui Community College‘s campus in Kahului.

"Sustainable Earth Celebration" activities will begin daily at 9 a.m., and highlights include presentations by best-selling author and internationally renowned environmentalist Bill McKibben; Dr. William F. Schulz, former Executive Director of Amnesty International; and Lori Grace, local organic farmer and Al Gore Certified presenter. The event also features an eco-poetry slam, sustainability tours of Kaheawa Wind Farm and Maui Community College, several eco-documentary film screenings, and presentations from numerous local businesses and organizations including SOS metals, Maui Earth Composting, Community Work Day, Hnu Photonics, and Pacific Biodiesel.

Alex de Roode, Executive Director of the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui states, "The Hawaiian Islands are blessed with bountiful natural resources and an indigenous culture rich in sustainable knowledge and practices. Join us at Maui Community College to explore and learn about how these resources can be harnessed to provide a sustainable future for current generations and for those to come. As stated by Hawaiian cultural specialist Ramsay Taum: 'If not here, then where?; If not us, then who?; If not now, then when?' Let us join together to celebrate our planet Earth and island home and explore pathways towards a sustainable future. We look forward to having you by our side for this three-day Maui CC 'Sustainable Earth Celebration' of edu-tainment, learning, and exchange. We invite community and government organizations, and local businesses, farmers, chefs, and artists to support this event and share with all attending."

All activities are free and open to the public. For a detailed schedule of events, go to www.sustainablemaui.org. Sponsorship and volunteer opportunities also exist. Please contact SLIM Executive Director Alex de Roode at 808-984-3379 or SLIMinfor@hawaii.edu for more information.